The Atlas Obscura Podcast's User Profile - Atlas Obscura

The Atlas Obscura Podcast

2021
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This Kansas Town Advertised the World’s Largest Well. It Wasn’t.

From its hand-dug well to its fully sustainable power grid, Greensburg’s defining characteristic has been its own constant reinvention.

Do New York City Rats Deserve Their Bad Rap?

In collaboration with Radiolab’s Terrestrials podcast, we fall down the rat hole.

social movements

The Art in This Museum Was Donated for Free

Nestled in a small Colorado town is one of the best contemporary art museums in the state. Its collection didn’t cost a dime.

How the Rocky Mountain Locust Plague Spawned Federal Disaster Relief

When a cloud of locusts twice the size of Colorado descended upon the American Midwest, the federal government realized that some problems require a nationwide response.

Atlas Obscura Presents: Traveling Back in Time for Coconut Cake With The Sporkful

In search of an elusive slice of coconut cake, Dan Pashman of The Sporkful takes a detour through LA’s abandoned underground tunnel system, visiting a former speakeasy and an unusual store along the way.

A Supposedly Boring Mall I Might Actually Visit Again

In an underground maze filled with miles and miles of retail storefronts, our reporter searches for the heart of the Canadian dream.

The Allagash Abductions: This State Park’s Most Famous Visitors ... Are Aliens?

In 1976, four men saw a UFO while visiting the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. A decade later they started remembering more details.

Which Places With Bad Raps Are Actually Worth Visiting?

Our podcast listeners defend their favorite places with bad reputations, ranging from laundromats to ... Sacramento, California?

How the Woolly Devil, Member of a New Plant Genus, Was Discovered on a Hike in Big Bend

On an ordinary walk around Big Bend National Park, a park ranger and volunteer made a rare scientific discovery: an entirely new kind of plant.

How Club Ebony Helped Keep the Blues Alive in the Jim Crow South

The legendary venue is part of the Chitlin’ Circuit, a network of clubs showcasing Black performers that helped launch artists like B.B. King, Ray Charles, and Aretha Franklin.

The Atlas Obscura (Audio) Guide to the National Parks

A week of stories about the flora, fauna, and folks that bring the national parks to life.

Roadside Dinosaurs: An American Love Story

Who’s responsible for the dinosaur sculptures scattered across the United States? Our reporters set out to find the answer.

Atlas Obscura Podcast Mailbag: Long Lines, Budgeting With Friends, and Accidental Adventures

How do you plan a trip with friends who have more (or less) money to spend? The AO Podcast crew has some thoughts.

Little Lambs, Big Back Story

Originally smuggled into the American colonies, the Leicester Longwool sheep went extinct here during the rise of Merino wool. Then Colonial Williamsburg brought it baaa-ck.

Why Did Celebrity Preacher Aimee Semple McPherson Mysteriously Disappear?

The pastor was presumed drowned in 1926 after a swim on Venice Beach. Then reports of sightings started trickling in.

social movements

The Bradbury Building Featured in ‘Blade Runner’ Was Inspired by a 19th-Century Utopian Novel

The Los Angeles office building draws heavily on the futuristic architecture described in Edward Bellamy’s ‘Looking Backward.’

The Berbice Rebellion of 1763 Ended With a Letter

The enslaved population of this former Dutch colony had control of the island for the better part of a year. Their decision to offer peaceful surrender to colonists backfired spectacularly.

How the Pandemic Helped Our Listeners Rediscover Their Own Neighborhoods

Atlas Obscura Podcast listeners called us to share their stories about the places they explored during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This Man Rebuilds the Last Inca Rope Bridge Yearly

High above a roaring river, a man perilously hand-weaves the Q’eswachaka suspension bridge as part of a 500-year tradition. What happens when he retires?

How the ‘Su Filindeu’ (or ‘Threads of God’) Pasta Recipe Was Almost Lost to Time

For 300 years, only a handful of women in Sardinia knew how to make this exceptionally intricate pasta—until one of them decided to share the recipe with the outside world.

Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville

F. Scott Fitzgerald spent two formative months in the Bluegrass State.

Podcast: The Circus Capital of the World

How John Ringling transformed Sarasota from a quiet fishing village into the world’s circus capital.

Sound Influence: The Art and Soul of Puerto Rico

A new podcast from Atlas Obscura and Talkhouse, narrated by Luis Guzmán.

Podcast: The Stanley Hotel

We explore the hotel that some paranormal investigators call the most active haunted location in the world.